Drill for electric railways



(No Model.)`

H. P'. BRADFORD'. DRILL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 464,673. Patented Dec.l8, 1891.

UNTTRD STATES PATENT Grricn.

HARRY P. BRADFORD, OE LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

DRILL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,673, dated' December 8, 1891. Application led July 27, 1891. Serial No. 400,817. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HARRY P. BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, Pulaski county, State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drills for Electric Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to drills substantially designed for electric railways, and has for its object to provide a drill which can be conveniently applied for the purpose of drilling the holes in the ends of the rails which are usuallyT required for railway-bonds and for other such purposes. In regard to its application in connection with electric railways it may be observed that in the application of electrical systems to railways the rails of which have already been laid down it is thought necessary to bond the roads by connecting the ends ofthe rails by short railbonds or short lengths of wire. This, in the usual manner of application, requires a hole to be drilled through each end of each rail. This it is commonly desired to do without removing the rails, as it is not otherwise necessary to raise the rails for the purpose of converting an ordinary railway into an electric railway. The difficulty in boring these holes springs from thp fact that the hole must be drilled very close to the foundation below the ground and the drill must travel parallel to the ground, or nearly so. This with ordinary forms of drills would require a considerable excavation. Moreover, the drilling is preferably done while the road is in use and operation, which precludes the use of ordinary forms of drills and makes necessary a convenient drill clamping and securing device.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drill end and clamp. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the entire drill with a modified or double clamp.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the figures.

A is the rail, having the tread B, the base C, and the middle portion D.

E is a plate provided with a rib E below and an upwardly-turned outer end E2, which serves as a hook to grasp one side ofthe base.

E2 is a slot which passes through the rib E beneath the plate E and is adapted to receive the bolt E4. A clamping-block E5, having the forwardly-projecting end E6 and upon both sides the downwardly-projecting parts E7 E7 and the rearA upwardly-projecting end ES, is pivoted or fulcrumed upon the pin E4. The pin E4 has at one end the head F and at the other the securing nut or collar F. Pivoted in the projecting portion E8 is the part consisting of the handle G, and the eccentrically-pivoted cam-circle Gf.

H is the drill proper in the chuck H which is secured to the rod'H2, journaled in the standard H3 and passing thence into the sleeve J. In this sleeve is a pin J received into the long slot J2 in the rod H2, whereby the rod and sleeve are keyed together, though the rod is permitted to have motion along the sleeve. The rod H2 is turned down at the point J2 and terminates in the nut J4.

K is a collar encircling the smaller portion of the rod, and beneath the nut J4 and continuous with the yoke K on the end of the screw-rod K2, which is journaled in thestandard K3 and driven by the crank K4 on the end thereof. The sleeve J is journaled in the standard L.

The three standards H2, L, and Kare preferably united by the connecting-bars L L2, so as to form therewith a continuous rigidlyconnected piece, and they are secured upon the plate E respectively bythe bolts L2, L4, and L5, so that by blocking up under these standards the distance from the rod and drill to the plate E may be varied, while the two are kept substantially parallel with each other. Rigid on the sleeve is a beveled gear M, meshing with a similar beveled gear M on ashaft M4 within the long bearing M2 and driven by the crank M2. On the crank K4 is the ratchetwheel N, adapted to be engaged by the dog N on the end of the lever N2, which is pivoted at N2 and adapted to to be engaged by the pin N4 0n the crank M3.

O is a stop, and O a spring whereby the lever N2 is kept in proper position or returned to its normal position after having been slightly moved by the crank M2.

In Fig'. 3 the structure is in all respects the same, only that the plate E is bifurcated,

forming the two terminals O O, which are provided each with clamping mechanism similar to that more fully illustrated in Figs. l and 2. It is evident that these several parts may be somewhat varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and Ido not wish to be limited to the specific form of the several constructions shown. The devices may be provided with one or more clamping parts, as shown, and the lever N2, with its accessories, may be dispensed with, if desired. Moreover, in somefinstances it may be desirable to clamp the tread to the rail instead of the base, as indicatedin Fig. l in dotted lines,

where the dotted lines indicate a clamping device similar to that shown in full lines and applied to the tread of the rail.

The use and operation ot' my invention are as follows: The apparatus, substantially as shown, preferably in the form indicated by full lines in Figs. I and 2, can be applied to an ordinary rail while the sameis in position in a completed track by digging away sufliciently in the vicinity of the rail or by taking out one or two paving-stones, if such are provided, so that the ribbed plate may be placed along beneath the rail and then retracted until its hooked outer end engages the flange of the base of the rail on the opposite side of the drill proper. The clamping device consisting of the parts E ET E8, dsc., may then be moved forward, the point E4 sliding in the slot E3 until the projecting part E rests over the flange on the base of the rail toward the drill. By raising the handle G a certain distance the eceentrieally-pivoted disk will cause the clamp to securely grasp the rail,and thus the drill is rigidly fixed in proper position and relation to the rail. If the flanged plate is b'ifurcated, two of these clamps could be employed when engaging the rail on each side of the drill. The drill in the various iigures is shown in an advanced position, where it has passed a considerable distance through the web or body of the rail. The drill may be now easily moved forward, assuming that it has not yet disengaged the rail or the point of engagement with the rail, this being done by moving or rotating the crank K'l and rail N, the dog N being thrown out of engagement, if necessary, according as the device is organized.

To drive the drill or cause it to disengage the rail or bore a hole therein, the crank M3 is rotated by means of its handle, and this of course rotates the gears M lll and the sleeve. and by means of the key also rotates the drillrod lll. The operation in all respects is the same in the case of the device shown in Fig. 3, except that two clamps are employed.

In Fig. 1, in dotted lines, it is suggested that a rail-clamping device may be attached in such manner as to grasp the thread or upper portion of the rail. This of course is a mere detail of construction, but in most instances would not be desired, as it is usually important to operate upon the rails while the cars are still running, which perhaps could not be done in the case of a clamp attaching itself to the tread if there were cars running in rapid succession.

It will be observed that by a device constructed as here illustrated the driving of the drill is accomplished without any interference between the driving-clamp or the ground and the moving car, if there be one. It may also be added that the automatic device whereby the feeding forward of the' drill is accomplished `need not be employed. In other words, the forward feeding ol the drill as it is operatively rotated by one clamp is accomplished by means of the other clamp, and if the automatic device is employed the other or smaller clamp is driven from the larger one withoutany interference bythe hand.

I claim* l. The combination of a supporting-base with a drill-rod, and a series of supports or bearings therefor, adj ustably attached to the base, so as to permit the rod to be supported at varying distances from but substantially parallel to the base.

2. The combination of a supporting-base with a drill-rod, means for driving the same mounted thereon, a hook at the outer end of such base, whereby it is adapted to engage the flange of the rail on the opposite side from the drill proper, and a clamp on the base adapted to engage the other side of the ange or base of the rail, said clamp consisting of a clamping-piece with a cam and a movable pivot.

3. In a drill, the combination of a drill with a driving mechanism at an angle thereto, a feeding mechanism parallel therewith, and a supportingbase.

l. In a drill,the combination of a drill with a driving mechanism at an angle thereto, a feeding mechanism parallel therewith, and a supporting-base, and a connection from the driving mechanism to the feeding mechanism, whereby the latter is moved ,forward step by step by the action of the former.

5. The combination of a supporting-base with a drill-rod, means for driving the same mounted thereon, a hook at the outer end of such base, whereby it is adapted to engage the flange of the r'ail on the opposite side from the drill proper, and a clam p ou the base movable there along and adapted to engage the other side of the flange or base of the rail.

G. The combination of a supporting-base with a drill-rod thereon and a driving device disposed at an acute angle with reference to the line of motion of such drill-rod.

7. The combination of a supporting-base with a drill-rod supported so as to be movable along such base, with a feed mechanism to move the rod, and a fixed driving mechanism to rotate the rod.

HARRY I. BRADFORD.

Witnesses:

W. H. SUTTON, W. A: Davis, Jr.

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